(MOSCOW, RUSSIA) – Russian authorities have tightened restrictions on the popular messaging application Telegram, prompting criticism from users and raising fresh concerns about online freedom, according to reviews published in leading Russian newspapers on Tuesday.
State and business media, including Rossiyskaya Gazeta, RBK, Kommersant and Moskovsky Komsomolets, reported that the federal communications regulator Roskomnadzor had limited access to the service, citing alleged breaches of Russian law.
Roskomnadzor said Telegram had failed to protect personal data and had not taken sufficient measures to prevent fraud or the use of the platform for criminal and terrorist purposes. Officials said these shortcomings justified tighter controls.
Several newspapers noted that problems had been developing for months. Promsvyaz reported that video calls had been unreliable, while RBK said that between 9 and 10 February access worsened sharply. Users reported difficulties sending photographs and large files, frequent error messages and delays in delivering ordinary messages.
According to press estimates, between 20 and 40 per cent of Russian users have experienced partial or complete disruption of the service.
Andrei Gurulyov, a member of parliament and former army officer, described the restrictions as “the defence of the information frontline”. He said the measures were part of what he called a wider confrontation with NATO and foreign powers.
“The situation dictates it. There are external threats. Russia has to respond,” he was quoted as saying by several newspapers.
Media analysts said the authorities were using tensions with Western countries to justify tighter control over digital communication platforms that are widely used by the public.
RBK reported that in September 2025 Telegram was the second most popular messaging service in Russia after WhatsApp, with around 46 per cent of the population using it regularly.
The newspaper recalled that this was not the first attempt to curb the platform. Between 2018 and 2020, the government tried to block Telegram entirely but later abandoned the effort after technical difficulties and public opposition.
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, criticised the latest measures in a message published on his channel. He said restricting citizens’ freedom was never the right solution and insisted that the platform remained committed to privacy and free expression.
Durov argued that the restrictions were designed to force users to move to a state controlled messaging service built for surveillance and political censorship.
Several newspapers reported growing official support for a new government backed application known as Max, which is being promoted as an alternative to foreign owned platforms.
RBK also said that the YouTube domain had disappeared from Roskomnadzor’s DNS servers, making the video platform inaccessible without the use of virtual private networks.
Kommersant highlighted the restrictions with a wordplay headline suggesting that regulators were showing “not a telegram of compassion” towards users.
Alongside digital controls, Russian newspapers also reported rising living costs. Moskovsky Komsomolets said many households were shocked by January utility bills, which in some regions had doubled compared with last year, particularly for heating.
From October, several regions are expected to introduce further double digit tariff increases, raising fears that the January bills may represent only the first stage of broader financial pressure on households.
